CPA approves 4 more ships on Ctg-Colombo route

The Chittagong Port Authority has approved the operation of four more ships on the Chattogram-Colombo route to ease the congestion of export goods containers at privately-owned inland container depots.
“Following a meeting on Monday, an announcement has been made to prioritise ships on the Colombo route to deal with the crisis in the shipping sector,” Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Omar Faruq told The Business Post on Wednesday.
“Two companies sought permission on Tuesday to operate four ships, which has been granted,” he said.
More than 15,000 containers with all types of export products, including readymade garments, have landed in the private ICDs due to a crisis in shipping services triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Most of these containers stored at the ICDs are bound for Europe-America via Colombo port.
Source said that the four new ships, with a total capacity of 4,500 TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Unit), will join the existing fleet of 13 container-carrying ships along the route.
Mohammad Shaheen, director of Everest Logistics Limited, the
shipping agent of two newly-approved ships, said one of his ships would reach Chittagong port in two-and-a-half days while the other would join the fleet soon.
Ajmir Hossain Chowdhury, head of operation and logistics at MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company Limited, the shipping agents for the other two approved ships, said their ships would join the fleet after Eid ul-Azha.